| So after months and months of hard work | | | | exercise and cutting out unhealthy foods, will help |
| you've finally reached your weight loss goals. The | | | | make your weight loss permanent in ways that |
| work should be over now right? Wrong. Post diet | | | | yo-yo dieting cannot. Having a plan of attack for |
| maintenance can be just as challenging. Even while | | | | how to approach maintenance will therefore |
| you don't need to sacrifice to the same extent as | | | | include a general dietary plan alongside an exercise |
| you did during the diet phase, you will | | | | regime. While you obviously won't have to be as |
| nevertheless need to learn how to incorporate | | | | strict as you were on the diet, you do still need |
| some of what you've learned into your day to | | | | to add some of the healthy habits you've learned |
| day eating habits. | | | | to your every day life. |
| Most experts agree that yo-yo dieting will only | | | | 4. Exercise. Frequently, dieters forgo exercise in |
| wreak havoc with your metabolic rate thereby | | | | favour of very low caloric intake. While this will |
| making everything you eat post-diet difficult to | | | | help shed the pounds fast it will only lead back to |
| burn off. Because your body starts to enter | | | | the inevitable post-diet weight gain. Starving |
| starvation mode, every bit of caloric tid-bit can | | | | yourself can work for a while, but ultimately it is |
| become stored as fat reserves. In order for the | | | | unsustainable. If you are serious about making |
| body to feel safe it needs a regular supply of | | | | changes to your life you will really need to hit the |
| nutrients. If you've starved yourself silly, than the | | | | gym. Making exercise a part of your life will not |
| body will respond by holding on to every | | | | only boost your metabolism allowing you to eat a |
| subsequent morsel that enters your mouth. As | | | | little more and burn more too, but it will also tone |
| such, it is important not to use crash dieting | | | | and shape your body. Just losing weight can often |
| techniques but instead to make permanent | | | | leave the body looking a little out of sorts if you |
| changes to your lifestyle that are sustainable. | | | | fail to add exercise to the mix. Fat loss is great |
| One of the other main reasons for the heavy | | | | but if you're left with saggy skin and bone rather |
| gains after dieting is that people give up all the | | | | than muscle tone then you'll still be less than |
| tricks that helped them lose the weight in the first | | | | thrilled when bathing suit season arrives. |
| place. After a long hard struggle to lose the | | | | 5. Tell others. One of the best secrets to keeping |
| weight, people tend to indulge themselves and | | | | to a diet is telling others about your plan. If your |
| slide back to unhealthy habits. If this has tended | | | | partner, relatives or your best friend knows that |
| to be your style, or if you've suffered from | | | | you are trying to change your eating habits not |
| recurrent weight loss and subsequent gains, then | | | | only will you likely get the support you need, but |
| keep reading to learn how to keep the weight off | | | | you will also be less likely to cheat (at least in their |
| for good! | | | | presence). Likewise, making your maintenance |
| 1. Change your thinking. When it comes to making | | | | plan public will keep you on the right track. When |
| changes in your health and body then you need | | | | others know you are trying to make it to the |
| to stop thinking diet and start thinking lifestyle | | | | gym four times a weak and to cut out junk food, |
| change. If you've been suffering on a crash diet | | | | then not only will you be held accountable, but |
| or starving yourself on a new fangled eating | | | | you might even inspire them to make some |
| regime then chances are you're not going to do | | | | healthy changes. |
| that well when it comes to maintenance. If you | | | | 6. Don't wait to take action. If you see the scales |
| haven't learned how to eat healthily on your diet, | | | | tipping towards the danger zone then instead of |
| then you're not going to understand how to keep | | | | waiting for your red alert weight, or worse ten |
| the weight off when it comes to reintroducing | | | | pounds past this flag, begin making changes |
| certain foods. If you haven't changed your | | | | immediately. Keeping a keen eye on the scale will |
| thinking then no matter how much your body | | | | alert you to unhealthy patterns. Perhaps you've |
| might look different for now you're not going to | | | | started doing a lighter workout or added in a few |
| be able to maintain with success. Sliding back to | | | | more calories at the end of the day. Checking in |
| old eating habits will have you back on a diet in no | | | | on the scale will help you realize that maybe you |
| time. | | | | can't keep doing what you've been doing. |
| 2. Have a red alert weight. During your dieting | | | | Changing your routine right away will ensure that |
| phase you were probably pretty good about | | | | the weight gain doesn't get out of hand. Remind |
| weighing yourself on a regular basis. Now that you | | | | yourself that it was difficult to lose the weight |
| are settling in maintenance you will still need to | | | | and maintenance though not as easy as some |
| make sure that you are keeping track of your | | | | assume is much better than what you went |
| weight. While you won't need to weigh in | | | | through to lose the weight in the first place. As |
| everyday, you will need to weigh yourself every | | | | such, making some smaller changes now to |
| week or so. Having a red flag weight set out | | | | address the weight you might be putting on is |
| ahead of time will help you realize if and when | | | | much easier than having another twenty or thirty |
| you are eating a little too lustily or skipping one to | | | | more pounds to lose. |
| many workouts. When you see this weight on | | | | Dieting is hell for most people and that's why |
| your scale you'll know its time to cut out a few | | | | thinking about lifestyle change is a much better |
| carbs and get back on track. | | | | way to go. While you may not lose the weight as |
| 3. Have a plan. Too often people go off their diets | | | | fast as your starving friend over there surviving |
| only to return to their pre-diet eating habits. | | | | on cottage cheese, you will nevertheless have a |
| Obviously doing so will land you right back where | | | | much better chance of keeping if off. Maintaining |
| you were when you started the diet in the first | | | | your weight can then be easier as your |
| place. Maintenance does not mean eating | | | | metabolism won't be a disaster and hopefully you |
| whatever you like. Rather, maintenance too | | | | will more easily incorporate your healthy habits |
| requires a little bit of forethought. This is why | | | | into your day to day life. |
| making changes in your lifestyle, including adding in | | | | |